In an attempt to spend three weekends in a row out of the country, Christina and I started planning a trip to Munich for the weekend after Prague. For this trip we decided not to go with any traditional methods of transport, and instead opted for Mitfahrgelegenheit, a German lift-sharing website on which people making long distance journeys can advertise free spaces in their cars. So on Friday afternoon at 5pm we were waiting in a car park, prepared to drive all the way to Munich with a man who we'd never met before in our lives (in order to stay with another total stranger once we arrived - God bless CouchSurfing).
An hour later, and after a very embarrassing misunderstanding with a man who was definitely not our lift-share, we were still waiting. Apparently this was one risk too many, and we were not to be going to Munich this weekend. Unfazed (or perhaps not entirely unfazed, but re-christening our failed lift-share 'Mitfahrgelegenheit Wanker' helped), we set about making new plans for the weekend. And, like all the best plans, it started with gin.
It also started with CouchSurfing, a CouchSurfing games night to be precise. Latvian Guy (he has another name, Pyotr, but Christina named him Latvian Guy in our first week here, and so Latvian Guy he will forever be) had invited us to the event a long time ago, and he didn't seem to mind us RSVPing at the last minute, so we went. We played games, we drank gin, we spoke several different languages, we made friends, we shared our gin with our new friends (whether or not they wanted to share it is another matter entirely). All in all it was a good evening, the highlight of which was Christina giving the last of the gin to Latvian Guy as a parting gift (again, how welcome this gift was is a matter of debate).
The next day, in the midst of a delightful gin hangover which made us feel slightly like we were floating, we went shopping. I decided to blow a good portion of my recently received paycheck on a new coat - apparently coat-buying has become a Year Abroad tradition for me - and some sunglasses which I broke three days later, and then we decided to go at sit on the Danube Island and watch the sunset. Imagine our delight when we later discovered that one of Christina's work colleagues had been robbed at knife point there only a few weeks before.
To end our weekend, and to enjoy the incredibly hot weather, we went on a day trip to the Neusiedler See. And a very pleasant day trip it was too, aside from the fact that the train station was actually a good couple of miles from the lake itself. And getting there involved walking along a very long road in the very hot sun. Still, the lake was delightful (if very cold), and we had a lovely afternoon lazing in the sun, spotting nudists, and eating ice-cream. So a lovely weekend, no thanks to Mitfahgelegenheit Wanker!
An hour later, and after a very embarrassing misunderstanding with a man who was definitely not our lift-share, we were still waiting. Apparently this was one risk too many, and we were not to be going to Munich this weekend. Unfazed (or perhaps not entirely unfazed, but re-christening our failed lift-share 'Mitfahrgelegenheit Wanker' helped), we set about making new plans for the weekend. And, like all the best plans, it started with gin.
It also started with CouchSurfing, a CouchSurfing games night to be precise. Latvian Guy (he has another name, Pyotr, but Christina named him Latvian Guy in our first week here, and so Latvian Guy he will forever be) had invited us to the event a long time ago, and he didn't seem to mind us RSVPing at the last minute, so we went. We played games, we drank gin, we spoke several different languages, we made friends, we shared our gin with our new friends (whether or not they wanted to share it is another matter entirely). All in all it was a good evening, the highlight of which was Christina giving the last of the gin to Latvian Guy as a parting gift (again, how welcome this gift was is a matter of debate).
The next day, in the midst of a delightful gin hangover which made us feel slightly like we were floating, we went shopping. I decided to blow a good portion of my recently received paycheck on a new coat - apparently coat-buying has become a Year Abroad tradition for me - and some sunglasses which I broke three days later, and then we decided to go at sit on the Danube Island and watch the sunset. Imagine our delight when we later discovered that one of Christina's work colleagues had been robbed at knife point there only a few weeks before.
To end our weekend, and to enjoy the incredibly hot weather, we went on a day trip to the Neusiedler See. And a very pleasant day trip it was too, aside from the fact that the train station was actually a good couple of miles from the lake itself. And getting there involved walking along a very long road in the very hot sun. Still, the lake was delightful (if very cold), and we had a lovely afternoon lazing in the sun, spotting nudists, and eating ice-cream. So a lovely weekend, no thanks to Mitfahgelegenheit Wanker!
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